In his reply to Harry Jaffa [“In Defense of Political Philosophy: A Letter to Walter Berns,” by Harry Jaffa; “A Reply to Harry Jaffa,” by Walter Berns; Jan. 22], Walter Berns answers the irrelevant question, “Is Jaffa Leo Strauss’s spokesman?” instead of addressing the real issue—whether or not the Declaration of Independence is mere rhetoric. The Declaration of Independence is not mere rhetoric, but Berns’s reply certainly is. His attack is simple ad hominem, and simply embarrassing to all who understand Strauss and love philosophy.
Christopher J. Sasseen Davis, Calif.
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